Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure
by Chevalier Clairvoyance
Summary: In the city of Paris, the casket of Napoleon Boneparte is mysteriously stolen. Three years later, a boy named Raphael is leading a double life as an art thief named Phantom R, searching for the whereabouts of his father who disappeared a few years ago. Finding a bracelet bearing the same symbol as a coin left behind by his father, Raphael soon encounters a girl named Marie who...
1. Enter Raphael

**Summary:  
**In the city of Paris, the casket of Napoleon Boneparte is mysteriously stolen. Three years later, a boy named Raphael is leading a double life as an art thief named Phantom R, searching for the whereabouts of his father who disappeared a few years ago. Finding a bracelet bearing the same symbol as a coin left behind by his father, Raphael soon encounters a girl named Marie who possesses a violin bearing the same symbol. He also encounters a man claiming to be Napoleon, who seeks an item known as the Dragon Crown in order to place Paris under his rule. Thus Raphael embarks on a journey to solve the mysteries revolving around Marie and Napoleon, facing events that could very well shape the face of Paris.

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**Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure**

**Enter Raphael **

At the beginning of the 19th Century, almost all of Europe lay in the hands of a single man:

Napoleon Bonaparte.

This first glorious emperor of France had a favorite saying:

Imagination rules the world.

**[SOMEWHERE…]**

Somewhere in a museum, something is going on, something that is not good at all…

"Oh no, no, no, Mon Dieu!" A security guard exclaimed as he shined a flashlight on an empty space where something used to be! "Th-The casket! It is gone!" He shouted in shock, as other security guards came onto the scene, looking around and shining their flashlights about.

"Napoleon's casket has been stolen!" He hollered.

**[ELSEWHERE…]**

"Time to awaken, Emperor…" A man with red colored hair stood in a strange looking room with lights everywhere, but there was something very eerie about the room. He stood in front of an open casket, bowing a little. Inside of the casket lays an odd looking man. "It is time."

The man in the casket's eyes suddenly opened and he sat up slowly in the casket, looking straight ahead. White smoke was suddenly appearing on the ground around them.

The man with red hair stood up straighter, staring at the man in the casket in interest.

The man in the casket slowly grinned evilly.

**[THREE YEARS LATER]**

A young man with red hair walked through Paris at night alongside his white furred dog, Fondue. Paris, France sure is beautiful. The Eiffel Tower stood tall and magnificent. Bright lights could be seen everywhere, cars and buses drove on across the streets, pedestrians roamed around, walking and whatnot. The moon shone brightly in the starlit sky.

"The name's Raphael."

The red haired young man, Raphael, approached an apartment, Fondue still at his side.

"This is my apartment, or as they say in Paris, 'mon appartement'."

They entered the apartment building and went to Raphael's room. They both went down into the basement and stood in the dark. The basement is filled with turned off lights and lots of interesting art.

"I used to live here with my father. Now it's just me and Fondue."

Raphael suddenly started snapping his fingers.

"My father taught me a lot. Like "never take stuff that doesn't belong to you'."

He continued snapping his fingers repeatedly, but not too fast. There is a grin on his face.

"And before you ask, no, this art doesn't belong to me. It's a long story."

He started tapping his foot on the ground along with snapping his fingers, getting a nice little rhythm. Soon he started nodding his head to the beat, still grinning. Fondue wagged his tail in rhythm with the sounds, looking quite happy.

Suddenly, he stopped as all of the lights came on the basement, lighting everything up. He brought a hand in front of his face, bringing it across his face and pausing his hand right in front of his left eye, parting his index finger and middle to reveal his brownish colored eye.

"I have a secret."

"Woeuf!" Fondue barked happily after hearing this.

Raphael started spinning around the room, dancing like a pro. He quickly got out of his normal clothes and rapidly got dressed into a dark bluish (almost black) suit with a red tie. As he did this he continued to dance around the room. He tossed a black hat into the air.

"That is, Phantom R has a secret."

He crouched low onto the ground, spinning around in a circle and stopping with his back to Fondue, catching his hat that was falling to the ground.

"He's me."

He danced some more.

"No time for that, Fondue."

He then stood up, spinning as he did and putting his hat on top of his head. He then posed, his arm out and one hand on his hat, a grin on his face.

"It's showtime!"

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**Note:** Thank you for reading. I did my best in describing things. During this whole story, there will be some changes. Feel free to review.


	2. Chance Encounter

**Note**: Hello there. I've finally finished this chapter. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Feel free to leave a review if you want. I really appreciate it when I get a review. Oh, I also want to thank all of the readers who reviewed the last chapter. Thanks a lot.

* * *

**Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure**

**Chapter 1: Chance Encounter**

"It's been three years since my father disappeared without a trace," Phantom R said to Fondue, as he played around with a coin on his fingers. They were still in the basement. He then tossed the coin up into the air and the coin went soaring high. "But for the first time, we've got a lead. Right, Fondue?" He spoke again, flicking the tip of his hat, a grin on his lips.

Fondue watched him curiously, listening to everything he talked about and understanding everything as well.

"A coin my father left me had an unusual mark," Phantom R continued, as he gracefully jumped up into the air, catching the coin in his hand and spinning around facing Fondue in a crouched position, holding the coin between his middle finger and index finger. "There's a bracelet on display in the Louvre and it's got the same mark on it, Fondue!" He told the white furred dog in a hushed voice, showing him the coin, sounding happy.

Fondue tilted his head to side wonderingly. "Hurn…?"

The red haired young man tossed the coin up a little and caught in his hand, wrapping his whole hand around it this time. "If I get a hold of that bracelet maybe I can find my father!" He said cheerfully.

Fondue wagged his tail after hearing this.

Phantom R smiled, leaning a bit closer to Fondue. "Whaddya say to that, Fondue? You with me?" He queried.

"Woeuf!" Fondue replied cheerfully, his tail wagging faster.

Phantom R smiled again, lifting his hand up and rubbing the top of Fondue's head affectionately.

**[COUPLE OF MINUTES LATER…]**

Phantom R stood in his room, staring at Fondue, his hands on his hips. "You see the paper today? Finally, coverage worthy of us!" He told him. "Check it out!"

Phantom R showed Fondue the newspaper again and read it. "Phantom R: Next Stop, The Louvre! The Paris Constabulary has received a warning from Phantom R that his next target will be the Bracelet of Tiamat. The bracelet, an ancient Babylonian artifact, is part of the Mesopotamia Exhibit on display at the Louvre," Phantom R continued. "Authorities are baffled as to why Phantom R would be after this heretofore unknown treasure. Inspector Vergier of the Paris Constabulary insists it's nothing more than a publicity stunt. He vows to capture Phantom R and put a permanent end to his purloining."

Fondue curiously listened to Phantom R.

"Only time will tell if Phantom R is in for the crime of the century or simply in over his head." Phantom R finished reading. When he finished his folded his arms and a frown appeared on his face.

"A publicity stunt? Hmph. Sounds like Inspector Vergier has his pantaloons in a knot." He spoke, sounding a little annoyed.

"Woef…" Fondue barked lowly, a frown on his face, seemingly worried.

Phantom R then smiled and put his hands on his hips again. "You're not gonna let that windbag get to you, are you Fondue? Have I ever led you astray? We got this in the bag!" He assured his doggy friend.

"Woef!" Fondue cheered up a bit, feeling reassured.

Phantom R patted the top of Fondue's head affectionately. "Atta boy, Fondue. Now if I'm not mistaken, we have an appointment at the Louvre." He said to him, that smile still on his face.

Fondue wagged his tail happily.

Phantom R then stood up straight. "Oh, I nearly forgot. Gotta take care of one thing before we head out," He walked over to his bed and fixed it up a bit. Then he turned around to face Fondue again, putting his hands on his hips for the third time. "All set. Now let's shake it to the Louvre!" He exclaimed, feeling very excited to be doing this.

"Woeuf! Woeuf!" Fondue barked, feeling just as excited as his master.

Soon, Phantom R and Fondue made their way out of the apartment and outside. They immediately heard many voices of civilians, cars going by, and pretty much the sounds of the city. Also, they could see lots of city lights and lot of colorful flags.

"Fête de Paris festivities are about to begin! Do you know why there are so many flags out on the streets?" Phantom R questioned his doggy friend as they walked.

Fondue shook his head.

"The French flag is said to stand for liberty, equality, and fraternity, you know," Phantom R spoke, a small smile on his face. "We fly the flags to remind us of these important things! At least once every few years. Every day? That would be overkill." He said with a wave of his hand.

"Woeuf!" Fondue barked loudly all of a sudden and went taking off quickly, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. "Woeuf woeuf!"

Phantom R was caught off guard by Fondue's behavior and a frown appeared on his face. "Huh? Fondue! Whoa boy! Where are you going…?" Phantom R looked in the direction where Fondue was running to and saw him running towards a pleasant looking old lady in purple.

Phantom R sighed and jogged on over to them as Fondue sat down next to the old woman. As he did, the old woman began to pet Fondue softly with a smile on her wrinkled face.

"Aw, what a cute little doggie!" She cooed. She then noticed Phantom R and frowned a bit. "And what a…What are you?"

Phantom R knew this woman, well, _Raphael_ knew this old woman!

"H-Hey, M-Madame Paula…" Phantom R said awkwardly, hoping his cover wasn't blown. "Er, eh, eh heh…"

The old woman, Paula, smiled. "I know you're excited about the Fête de Paris, but isn't it a little early to go about in costume?" She questioned him. Paula had no idea who Phantom R was or that Raphael _is_ Phantom R!

"Costume…?" Phantom R looked baffled for a moment before grinning nervously and laughing a bit. "Right! Heh heh. Er, I guess I just couldn't wait." He fibbed.

Paula continued to pet Fondue gently, still smiling pleasantly. "It's okay, dearie, I understand. It's hard, with the Champs-Êlysêe and the Eiffel Tower all lit up," She talked. "It's a once-in-three-year event! Of course you want to make the most of it!"

Phantom R put his hands in his pockets. "Er, right. You got me." He lied again, putting on a smile.

"Look at me, rambling on like a little old lady," Paula sighed. "You know, there's a boy just about your age living right here in this apartment! He's going in costume too!" She said cheerfully. "Why, you'd get along famously. I bet you have lots in common."

Phantom R realized that she had no idea who he was and felt relieved. "More than you think," He answered her calmly. He then waved at her and motioned for Fondue to follow him. "See you later." He told Paula before walking off with Fondue following after him.

After a couple of minutes, they both stopped.

"Whew, that was close," Phantom R told Fondue in a relieved tone of voice. "I almost forgot I was in disguise for a second there. Note to self: be more careful when I'm out and about in disguise."

"Woeuf…" Fondue whined worriedly.

Phantom R then snapped his fingers, remembering something. "Uh oh! I'm going to miss my date with destiny! Better hurry to the Louvre." He told Fondue with a nod of his head.

Phantom R and Fondue continued on, wending their way over to the Louvre, but they were stopped by a man named Ghislain at the Musée d'Orsay Station. This Ghislain guy is dressed in a long coat, a purple scarf, a pale green shirt, brown pants, and glasses. He looked…mysterious.

"You there. Have you come across any peculiar medals in the city?" He suddenly asked Phantom R out of the blue.

The rhythm thief really thought that, that was the strangest question someone had ever asked him, but he replied anyway.

"No. I'm afraid I haven't." Phantom R responded politely.

"I'm told there's a hidden shop that only sells items in exchange for those medals," Ghislain spoke again. "And if I'm not mistaken, you can win them by playing rhythm games, too. The higher the rank, the more medals you win."

Phantom R immediately thought that there was something wrong with this guy. Fondue was thinking the same exact thing.

"Oh? Ah…um…thanks for the interesting information, sir," Phantom R told him. "Well, we really should be going now…"

"Wait. Look for a couple of medals around here. There should be some." Ghislain insisted, sounding very mysterious.

Phantom R sighed and began looking around for a medal or something along with Fondue's help. To his surprise, he managed to find one medal, which was odd too.

"Got a medal or two to rub together? Then listen up. Just down that street are two peculiar shops you won't want to miss," Ghislain told Phantom R quickly. "One of'em, it's got stuffed cows and stags and these old sculptures and art. Gotta wonder what the heck they sell!"

Phantom R was starting to get a little bit interested in what this guy had to say about these 'shops'.

"The other's this old music shop, and the sounds that come out of that place at night…I stay clear away from there," Ghislain continued on. "But who knows? If you're looking for something off the beaten path, it doesn't get farther off than that."

"Thanks a lot, sir. Come on, Fondue." Phantom R told the strange guy before walking off. Fondue barked happily and followed his master cheerfully. Phantom R decided to check out these shops before heading to the Louvre.

They ended up in the Flea Market. Two men stood outside of two shops. There were many interesting sculptures and whatnot outside of the shops and some other intriguing things as well. However, it was also pretty messy. Phantom R decided to talk to the man wearing an apron first.

"Good evening." Phantom R told the man.

"Hi, I'm Auban, the store manager of Shop Auban." The man told Phantom R with a frown on his face. He looked unhappy for some reason.

"Nice to meet you, Auban!" Phantom R gave him a smile.

However, Auban looked surprised, having realized something. "A customer! Who in their right…er…Haven't had one of those in a while!" He quickly corrected himself. "Take your time. Don't mind the mess." He said before heading on into the shop on the right.

Phantom R and Fondue headed on in after him to see what he had. To their surprise, he only had two items currently for sale, which were two odd movies. It involved some security guards and a boy that looked exactly like himself, which was creepy!

"A real treasure, that. Lets you watch movies in the gallery. Care to buy one?" Auban questioned Phantom R curiously.

Phantom R slowly shook his head. "Um…no thanks. I'll probably buy them next time." Phantom R answered him, sounding quite polite about it. He didn't even have enough medals for the movies anyway.

"Aw…well…alright then, whatever…" Auban muttered.

Phantom R and Fondue exited the shop and decided to speak to the other man standing out there. This man's name is Bernard.

"Hello!" Phantom R greeted him cheerfully.

"Woeuf!" Fondue barked joyously.

"Whatever it is, it will have to wait," The man, Bernard, spoke to them in a low voice. "I've no time for this right now."

The rhythm thief was about to reply to that, but Bernard said something before he could.

"Unless…You haven't come to help me complete my masterpiece, the legendary musical instrument, have you?" He asked. He then shook his head, having second thoughts. "No, of course you haven't. What would a boy like you be able to do? A true craftsman requires perfect pitch and that isn't easy to come by. More so when working with such a fine instrument."

Phantom R decided to interrupt the old guy's rambling. "Well, I happen to have perfect pitch." He told him confidently, putting his hands on his hips and grinning a little.

Bernard looked doubtful. "Oh, you have perfect pitch, do you? That's what they all say," He mumbled. He then sighed, shrugging. "Tell you what. If you can go find the sounds I need for this instrument, I'll be convinced. Show me what you've got and I'll tell you more about my miraculous masterpiece."

Phantom R frowned and started contemplating, looking around for a sound that he could show off to Bernard. He finally spotted something, a bat hanging from the building, flapping its wings repeatedly. Phantom R smirked and pulled out a recorder from his pocket. He then immediately recorded the flapping of the bat's wings. "That should do it…" He muttered before going back over to the man, Bernard.

Fondue barked happily as Phantom R pressed the play button on his recorder, letting Bernard hear the sound.

Bernard looked a little impressed, just a little. "Hmm. Perhaps you're not completely useless after all. Very well, I'll tell you about the master instrument." Bernard told him.

"Great." Phantom R smiled.

"It's a mysterious instrument that actually changes as it hears new sounds. That's why I need someone to gather sounds for me," Bernard explained seriously. "My shop is just through here," He gestured towards his ugly looking shop. "Come by if you'd like to help." He said before wending his way in there.

Phantom R watched him go before remembering something again. "Shoot! I'm going to miss my date with destiny, Fondue! Better hurry to the Louvre!" Phantom R told Fondue hurriedly.

"Wouef!" Fondue barks suddenly.

Phantom R blinked a few times before nodding. "Oh yeah, we have to help that guy. Come on, Fondue. Let's go inside his shop and see what we can help with." He tells Fondue.

"Hurn…!" Fondue answers.

Soon they both enter the shop where Bernard had entered. Once they're in they see that it is full of junk and very messy.

"Oh, you're here." Bernard says, as he sees Phantom R and Fondue in his shop. He looked surprised.

"Yes. I would like to help." Phantom R responded with a nod of his head.

"Right. Okay then. This is the shop that I've set up to craft the Master Instrument," Bernard tells them, as he holds up a very peculiar instrument. "Impressive, I know."

Phantom R and Fondue curiously stared at the instrument.

"It takes rare talent to craft the Master Instrument," Bernard said. "Without further adieu, will you seek out the next sound then? Listen well. It is this sound."

Suddenly, there was the sound of water gushing, which Phantom R and Fondue had no idea where was coming from.

"Interesting." Phantom R says quietly.

"Did you get that? I need the Gushing Sound. Fetch it for me, would you?" Bernard asks.

Phantom R gives him a smile and tips his hat to him. "Sure thing. I'll get it to you in no time. Don't worry about it." He answered him.

Bernard scratched the top of his head. "Eh, okay. Hurry along now. Thanks for this." He tells him gratefully.

"You're welcome," Phantom R nods, turns, and then starts walking towards the exit of the shop. "Come on, Fondue!"

"Wouef!" Fondue barked happily and wagged his tail, following his master cheerfully.

Once they were out of the shop Phantom R's eyes widened a little. "Uh oh! I'm going to miss my date with destiny! Better hurry to the Louvre." He told Fondue before walking, leaving the place. Fondue hurriedly followed him.

The rhythm thief and the white furred dog hurried on back the way they came, ending back up at the Musée d'Orsay Station. That strange man was no longer there. In his place was a girl named Grace. Phantom R and Fondue were just about to walk right past her, but she spoke up suddenly, making them stop.

"What a shame. I came all this way to the Musée d'Orsay Station, but it's closed," Grace sighs, running a hand through her brownish hair, looking really disappointed. "My horoscope said this was my lucky day…so much for that, I guess."

"Well, you can always come back here tomorrow." Phantom R tells her reassuringly with a nod of his head.

Grace nods. "Yeah, I know, but I wanted to come today," She then smiled and brought her hands up to her chin, examining him thoughtfully. "Say, that outfit looks familiar…I know! That's a Phantom R costume, isn't it?"

Phantom R warily nodded. "Um…yeah…"

"Nice choice. Phantom R is going to be big! Huge! He's practically a legend already!" Grace tells him, her smile getting bigger. "Rumor has it he'll be putting on a special performance today at the Louvre."

"A performance?" Phantom R queried.

"What else would you call theft so deft it becomes art in its own right?" Grace questions him. "They say he can dazzle with a glance…Not that I've ever had the pleasure! But someday. Someday," Grace says in a dreamy voice, still smiling. "Maybe I'll pay a visit to the Louvre myself. Who knows? If my horoscope really was right, I might just run into him!" Grace tells him before walking off, daydreaming about it.

Phantom R watched Grace walk off with a look of disbelief on his face. "What? No way, Fondue. Horoscopes are a bunch of baloney." He tells his doggy friend.

Fondue nodded his head in agreement.

They then went on their way.

They ended up in Tuileries Garden.

"Huh?" Something suddenly caught Phantom R's eye.

Fondue looked at him in confusion and wonderment. "Woeuf?" Fondue cocks his head to the side.

Phantom R grinned. "Tuileries Garden might seem an ordinary park…and it is. Except when the traveling amusement park comes to town!" Phantom R tells Fondue, as he looked at all of the lights and the amusement park contraptions and rides and whatnot. It really lit up the ordinary garden.

Fondue stared at his master, listening to his every word.

"Papa used to bring me here when I was a little boy…" Phantom R trailed off, looking very nostalgic and a little sad. He looks up towards the dark sky, his eyes becoming distant.

Fondue saw this and decided to snap him out of it. "Rouf rouf!" Fondue barked.

Phantom R looked away from the sky and chuckled a bit, looking at his pet. "Gimme a break, Fondue. I'm just reminiscing. I'm not going to cry on you," Phantom R tells him and then slips his hands into his pockets, looking forward with a determined gaze in his eyes. "That Bracelet of Tiamat…and the mark on it will lead me to him. I'm sure of it. Y'know, I gotta admit I'm getting kind of excited just thinking about it."

"Woeuf!" Fondue barked softly, wagging his tail. He was getting just as excited as his master.

"Let's look around for some medals before we go, Fondue," Phantom R says to him. "Oh, and let's record some sounds too. We've got the time. Don't we, Fondue?"

"Woeuf!" Fondue responded positively, wagging his tail.

"Atta boy, Fondue." Phantom R says and grins. He then starts his search for a couple of medals. He ended up finding seven medals and he also managed to record the Merry-Go-Round sound from a merry-go-round.

Phantom R and Fondue were about to leave Tuileries Garden, but saw a little girl by the name of Emilie standing next to a balloon stand. The guy who was selling the balloons was off to the side, smiling and offering other people to buy some balloons as they passed by.

"What a day! I got to ride the Ferris wheel and the merry-go-round so many times my head is still spinning!" Emilie stated, her cheeks flushed and her hands clasped together. She looked rather happy. "Mama's gonna buy me a balloon on our way home! Yippee!"

"Good for you." Phantom R tells her pleasantly.

"Step right up! Don't be shy! If you're looking for a pick-me-up, look no further than Maxim's one-of-a-kind balloons!" The balloon seller, Maxim, says out loud cheerily. "Elastic and made to last, with enough of these, you could probably fly to the top of the Eiffel Tower! But it's not recommended. Don't let go, either or…WHOOSH! Gone in the sky!"

Phantom R was about to walk on by, but the balloon seller stopped him, pointing a finger at him.

"You there, in the suit – I think a balloon would be just the lift you need." Maxim tells him with a very big smile and a nod of his head.

Phantom R shook his head and politely declined. Then he looked at his doggy companion. "Come on, Fondue. We gotta start shaking it to the Louvre." Phantom R told him, as he starts walking through Tuileries Garden quickly, leaving the amusement.

"Woeuf!" Fondue quickly followed him.

After thirty minutes or so, Phantom R and Fondue managed to make it to the Louvre. There are a couple of people milling about, riding bicycles or just sitting around chatting. It was truly a pleasant night, very beautiful. Phantom R managed to find nine medals and also managed to record the Pigeon sound, after seeing a couple of pigeons on the ground.

"We've finally made it to the Louvre, Fondue!" Phantom R tells Fondue with a small smile on his lips, nodding his head. "Man, it's so beautiful here. It's really nice."

Suddenly, a man next to them spoke up while holding a paintbrush. His name is Albert. "I'll never get sick of seeing this place at night. It's like a work of art all on its own!" Albert says to them gleefully. "Hard to go wrong with the Mona Lisa…and the Victoire de Samothrace, and the Venus di Milo, and Renoir…" Albert suddenly started painting something on a piece of paper. "The art on display at the Louvre truly stirs the soul. A visit here should be required of any budding artist. Why, I think I'm ready to paint a few masterpieces myself!"

Phantom R stepped away from him, nodding his head and looked towards Fondue. "The Louvre at night is a sight, I'll give him that. I love it more each time." He tells Fondue.

Fondue only wagged his tail in response to this.

Phantom R chuckled and rubbed the top of Fondue's head fondly before standing up straight and placing one hand into his pocket. "Come on, Fondue!" He tells him and starts walking in the direction of the main entry of the Louvre. Fondue eagerly followed his master.

Once they got there they immediately saw a security guard named Loic. But they didn't' know his name of course.

"Front of the Louvre, reporting," Loic says into a small radio, not noticing Phantom R and Fondue. "No problems here. Yet."

Phantom R made sure not to be seen, as did Fondue. Phantom R stared at the security guard for a long moment before turning to look at his white furred dog. "Inspecter Vergier's really pulled out all the stops this time. Better keep sharp," He warns him. "We won't get far through the front. Good thing we know another way!" He smirks.

Fondue wagged his tail happily. "Woeuf!"

Phantom R suddenly put a finger to his lips and gave Fondue a very serious look. "Hush, Fondue. It's not a secret if you tell everyone about it. Quick, to the southwest corner!" He orders Fondue.

The red haired rhythm thief and the white furred dog took off to the southwest corner after retrieving a couple of medals. It didn't take too long to make it there. Once they did, they got a good look at the place. There seemed to be a secret door there.

"As I thought. Security's lighter on the ground out here," Phantom R observed thoughtfully. "Who would expect a hidden entrance to the Louvre, one of the best-guarded museums in the world!" He says, sounding slightly disappointed about this bit of information, but also satisfied.

Fondue only looked at him curiously.

"Heck, I didn't even expect this. Gotta wonder who made it, and why…" Phantom R spoke quietly, a grin playing across his lips. "They say the Louvre is full of mysteries and this is just one…The wonder of it all, Fondue! The mystery!"

"Woeuf!" Fondue barked cheerfully at the rhythm thief's words.

Phantom R raised an eyebrow at his doggy companion. "What, me? Cheesy? You're one to talk, Fondue," Phantom R tells him with a wave of his hand. "Now, let's get this thing open!" He tells him, referring to the relief in front of them.

Fondue seemed to roll his eyes before turning to look at the relief too.

Phantom R inspected it thoroughly with a frown on his face. "Hmm…I think the secret was moving from low to high to reveal a secret path," Phantom R told Fondue and then pointed to a flashing spot on the relief. "That flashing spot on the relief should get us started."

The rhythm thief stepped closer to the flashing spot on the relief and inspected it some more. "Hmmm…it appears that we may have to solve a riddle of some sort, Fondue!"

"Woeuf…" Fondue barked softly.

"Let's see here…" Phantom R pressed one of the buttons on the flashing spot and immediately they all lit up colorfully, revealing seven buttons. They all began flashing one at a time, but not in a row. It was much more difficult than that.

Fortunately, Phantom R was able to figure out this little riddle and the secret door popped right open before them. Phantom R turned his head to look at Fondue and smirked. "There, that did it. Okay, we're doing this one by the book. You ready, Fondue?" He questioned him.

Fondue nodded his head, wagging his little tail. "Woeuf!"

The two of them then both entered the secret door eagerly and ended up at the Mesopotamia Exhibit, which was quite the sight. It was dark inside and also very quiet. Phantom R stared at the Mesopotamian Sculpture for a moment before turning his eyes on Fondue.

"The Mesopotamia Exhibit…Which means the Bracelet of Tiamat is somewhere in here!" The rhythm thief told Fondue excitedly, a smile appearing on his facial features. Then he looked back at the sculpture. "That statue always looks like it's staring at me. What was this again? The Shedu of Sargon II's palace?"

Fondue looked at the statue and growled. "Grrr…"

Phantom R looked at his doggy companion, giving him a small smile. "Heh, don't worry, Fondue. I'm pretty sure it can't get us. Still, a bull with wings is pretty wild. Who thought of that one? Let's keep on keeping on, Fondue. Time to get that bracelet!" He declared.

Fondue got down low and growled some more, warily looking up towards something flashing. "Woeuf…? Woeuf! Woeuf!" He barked loudly.

The red haired rhythm thief looked at Fondue. "Huh? What is it, Fondue?" He queried. He followed Fondue's gaze to a security camera up above. Phantom R frowned and folded his arms across his chest. "Hold up, that's a security camera! That wasn't there before," He put his hands on his hips, a look of realization appearing on his face. "I should have expected them to tighten security after I warned them."

Fondue seemed to relax a little after hearing this.

"We could just force our way through, but that wouldn't be very Phantomesque," Phantom R suggested, chuckling a little with a shake of his head. "Let's take a little detour. We'll hit the security room on the Second floor. I'll bet we can fake out that camera!"

"Woeuf!" Fondue barked quietly in agreement.

Phantom R grinned and started walking away from the statue and the camera. He and Fondue headed towards the first floor escalator, which wasn't very far. They made sure to be extra quiet and stealthy. The escalator wasn't moving, which wasn't surprising considering that the whole place was closed for the night. Phantom R and Fondue would just have make do with walking up the escalator rather than waiting for it to pull them up.

They strolled on up the escalator, still being very quiet. Once they made it to the second floor, Phantom R glanced at Fondue. "We should almost be there to the security room, Fondue." He whispered to his doggy companion as they silently continued on.

Fondue only wagged his tail in response to his master's words and continued following him.

When they came to a long corridor of statues, Phantom R came to a sudden halt. He raised his hand and hid behind wall, making sure not to be seen. "Fondue, quiet!" Phantom R exclaimed in a whisper.

Fondue looked confused. "Woeuf?"

Phantom R nodded in the direction of the long and massive corridor, showing him that there were a couple of security guards standing there on duty, nonchalantly waving their flashlights around. "Check it out. Looks like they upped the number of guards on patrol, too." The rhythm thief tells Fondue quietly.

Fondue frowned.

Phantom R frowned too and poked his head through the entrance of the corridor, examining all of the statues and sculptures in the corridor. "You know, I bet we could use those statues to get where we need to go! What's life without a little risk, eh, Fondue?" He questioned his friend.

"Woeuf!" Fondue agreed, looking determined.

Phantom R straightened out his hat and smirked. "Right. Let's start groovin' and movin', Fondue!" He says.

The rhythm thief immediately started tip toeing towards one of the statues. One of the guards were walking on the other side of the statue, looking in another direction, shining his flashlight ahead of him. But then, suddenly, the security guard turned around to shine his flashlight at the statue and Phantom R quickly posed behind the statue, framing it perfectly. Fondue was right behind him behind another statue, mimicking his master.

Phantom R did this for a couple of more statues, being completely unseen and he danced his way behind a few more statues. Then he stepped out from behind the tenth one and started silently walking behind one of the security guards, moving rhythmically, as he did. The guard had no idea that he was being followed by Phantom R, completely oblivious!

Then Phantom R playfully lay on top of a glass casket that held various museum items, watching a security guard walk on by, not seeing him on top of it. Phantom R had to seriously hold in a laugh, as he continued to watch the guard go on by. He could also see Fondue making his way through the corridor, being just as stealthy as him.

The red haired Phantom saw some approaching security guards and smoothly slid off of the glass casket, flawlessly landing onto the ground. Then he continued on his way, posing behind statues and, again, framing them perfectly so he wouldn't be seen by the clueless security guards. After passing by a couple of more statues, Phantom R stepped away from them and started dancing along behind a security guard, playfully tapping him on the shoulder as he went by. The security guard immediately flinched and looked around in alarm, waving his flashlight around and everywhere, BUT Phantom R.

Phantom R chuckled behind closed lips as he continued to dance along smoothly and silently. He was enjoying himself very much as he did this. He could practically hear music playing in the background just for him and Fondue.

He and Fondue continued posing behind statues and being unseen until they passed all of the guards. Then they proceeded to run down the dark corridor, leaving all of the security guards behind. Phantom R grinned, as they did. "Rhythm king!" He exclaimed in a whisper to Fondue.

"Woeuf!" Fondue barked softly, wagging his tail, as he ran.

Soon enough, they made it to the security room hallway. Phantom R came to a stop and straightened up his outfit before putting his hands in his pockets, moving his eyes over to Fondue who sat next to him. "Success! Okay, into the Security Room!" Phantom R tells him, as he turns to the security room door.

The red haired thief grasped the door knob of the security room door and tried opening it.

Rattle…rattle…

Unfortunately, it didn't budge!

Phantom R frowned and crossed his arms. "Huh? It won't open. That's odd." He talked.

Fondue tilted his head to the side, peering at the odd looking security room door. "Woeuf! Woeuf woeuf!" Fondue barked.

Phantom R didn't even look at him. "Later, Fondue. Can't you see I'm a little busy right now?" He questioned him.

"Woeuf!" Fondue barked again and began pressing buttons on a panel next to the security room door, using his paws.

Click…!

Phantom R quickly unfolded his arms after hearing that 'click' and got a surprised look on his face, glancing at Fondue. "Whoa, Fondue! Don't just go pressing any old button…"

Suddenly, the security door began speaking…

"SPEAK! SPEAK! VOICE DETECTED. CONFIRMING. IDENTITY…"

Phantom R and Fondue listened.

"…."

"ERROR!"

"UNAUTHORIZED VOICE."

Phantom R sighed in relief after the security thing stopped speaking and put his hands on his hips. He had thought an alarm was going to go off or something. "Whew…That was a close one. No more buttons, Fondue!" Phantom R scolded the white furred dog, giving him a look.

"Woeuf…" Fondue whined a little, a frown on his face.

"They never had a voice recognition lock before. This must be Inspector Vergier's doing," Phantom R elaborated. "They just HAD to use sound-activated security locks…" He muttered in annoyance.

Fondue just listened.

"Hmm. I'm guessing they only let in the guards the system knows," The rhythm thief suggested thoughtfully. "Maybe we can convince one to put in a good word for us."

"Woeuf!" Fondue barked.

"Let's find us a guard, Fondue." Phantom R finally decided.

The two of them then set off to find a security guard to get inside. They walked through the art display corridor and were both surprised to see that there were no more security guards there. Next they headed on towards the sully wing corridor. There are lots of paintings and whatnot on the walls on either side of the duo, as they continued their trek and search for a security guard.

"Man, where's a security guard when you need one?" Phantom R mumbled, as he looked around.

Fondue had to agree with that one, but didn't bark or anything.

The rhythm thief and the white furred dog continued on. They suddenly came across a room filled with French paintings. They immediately saw a sleeping security guard on a chair, oblivious to their presence.

"Shh! There's a guard over there!" Phantom R tells fondue in a hushed tone of voice, as he watched the guard.

"…Zzz…zzz…" The security guard, Joseph snored rather loudly, as he slept peacefully, not having heard them come in.

"In think he's asleep!" Phantom R says.

"Woeuf! Woeuf!" Fondue barked rather loudly, his barking echoing around the room that they're in.

Phantom R immediately clamped a hand over Fondue's mouth, giving him a very serious look. "Fondue, hush! Don't bark so loud! You might wake him up!" Phantom R told the dog in a whisper.

"Hurn…" Fondue looked sad.

"Sorry, but it's the truth," Phantom R removed his hand from the dog's mouth and looked back towards the guard, sighing and smiling. "Perfect! I'll just use my recorder here and get a sample…" He pulled out his recorder from his pocket.

The thief then recorded Joseph snoring, getting his voice. Then Phantom R placed the recorder back into his pocket and slipped his hands into both of his pockets, looking over at Fondue with a small grin. "Got it! Back to the Security Room!" He told his white furred friend.

"Woeuf!" Fondue barked quietly.

The two of them headed back to the security room, luckily not running into anymore guards. Phantom R quickly took out his recorder again and then held it up towards the door, pressing play on the recorder, playing the guard's snoring.

The security room door began speaking again.

"VOICE DETECTED. HELLO, JOSEPH. HOW IS YOUR PATROL GOING? RELEASING LOCK."

The door then opened before them, allowing them free entrance into the security room.

Phantom R slipped his hands back into his pockets and smirked, looking satisfied. "Easier said than done! Let's let ourselves in, shall we?" He spoke to Fondue.

Phantom R and Fondue slipped right into the security room and immediately saw dozens of computers around, showing everything. It was quite impressive.

Phantom R began looking around for the camera control panel. "Hmm…There should be a camera control panel around here somewhere…" He muttered, as he continued his search. While he was looking so was Fondue.

Fondue started sniffing around all over the place, searching for the camera control panel. Fondue then suddenly came across something, fortunately. "Woeuf!?" He barked loudly.

Phantom R/Raphael rushed over to Fondue and discovered that Fondue found the camera control panel! "Nice going, Fondue! Who knew it would be the panel with the flashing red light on it?" He spoke, as he rubbed Fondue's head in appreciation. Fondue wagged his tail happily, as he did.

He then removed his hand from Fondue's head and looked at the control panel, frowning. He reached both of his hands over and began typing on the control panel. "This the one?" He questioned softly and thoughtfully, as he continued typing. When he finally got it, he grinned.

"Right! This dummy clip should work," Phantom R said. "We've only got about five minutes of airtime, so let's get downstairs, pronto!"

"Woeuf!" Fondue agreed.

Phantom R sighed and made his way towards the door with Fondue trailing behind him. "Finally, time to make that bracelet ours."

The two of them set out to find the Bracelet of Tiamat. They exited the security room and ended up in the art display corridor again, happy to see that there were still no guards wandering around, aimlessly shining their flashlights around.

When they made it back downstairs, they were right back at the Mesopotamian Sculpture. "Finally, time to make that bracelet ours." He said once again, feeling all giddy inside.

"Rouf! Rouf!" Fondue barked suddenly.

Phantom R looked at Fondue questioningly. "Fondue? What's up?"

Fondue wended over to something on the floor and nudged it with his nose, barking again.

Phantom R strolled on over and frowned, seeing the object on the ground. "Huh? There's something on the floor right here. A notebook?" He reached down and picked up the object, seeing that it was, in fact, a notebook. He opened the notebook and frowned. "Joseph…? That's the security guard we caught snoozing! Check it out…" He showed Fondue.

The notebook said:

Press the buttons and listen well! Most buttons will have a pair. You want the one that doesn't.

Phantom R looked up from the notebook and at Fondue. "Looks like instructions for shutting down security, but security for what?" He wondered out loud. "Press the button that is the odd one out? Sounds simple enough."

"Woeuf!" Fondue barked in agreement.

"Info like that just might come in handy," Phantom R said and pocketed the notebook. "Now let's continue our search and make that bracelet ours, Fondue." He says.

"Woeuf!" Fondue barked again.

The duo approached the Mesopotamian Case on the other side of the corridor they are standing in and began looking around for the Bracelet of Tiamat. "C'mon, bracelet…"

Fondue was looking around too.

The rhythm thief then saw something flashing on a glass box that contained a beautiful and extraordinary looking bracelet. Phantom R grinned a little, as he saw the bracelet. Fondue came to stand beside him, eyeing the bracelet. "This is it. There's the mark, just like in the paper!" He exclaimed quietly, feeling cheerful.

"Woeuf!" Fondue also eyed another panel, which is a security panel.

"I know, Fondue. Another security panel, right?" Phantom R questioned his companion. "Hold on-I bet that notebook was talking about _this_ security panel." He figured.

Fondue nodded his head.

Phantom R peered at the security panel. "Right…So I was supposed to press the one that does not have a pair, was it?" He muttered thoughtfully. "Well, let's give it a shot!"

He pressed one of the buttons on the security panel and watched and listened, as nine buttons lit up one at a time, giving off different sounds each time. Phantom R decided that he needed to find the sound that did not match. So he listened intently, replaying the buttons sounds to figure it out.

When he finally managed to get it right he smiled joyfully. "I think it's deactivated," He reached in and grasped the Bracelet of Tiamat, slipping it onto his left wrist, his smile getting bigger. "Thanks to Monsieur Joseph!"

"Woeuf!" Fondue barked happily.

Phantom R then looked at him. "Our work here is done, Fondue. Time to make our grand exit out of the pyramid in front!" He tells him.

"Woeuf!" Fondue replied.

They both made their way out of the pyramid in the front and were immediately stopped by lights suddenly flashing upon them both. Phantom R closed his eyes due to the intensity of the light and held onto the top of his hat. When he opened his eyes he immediately saw Inspector Vergier and his constabulary. The constabulary are wearing roller skates and holding shields before them. Sirens immediately could be heard and all eyes were on Phantom R and Fondue. They were completely surrounded!

Inspector Vergier looked highly satisfied, as he saw Phantom R's predicament. "Stop right there, Phantom R!" He bellowed loudly. "For the appropriation of cultural artifacts…I arrest you!"

Phantom R's eyes widened as he realized who this person was. "Inspector Vergier!" He exclaimed, balling his hands into fists. Fondue took an offensive stance after hearing this, growling at all of the men surrounding them.

"The mark upon the bracelet…" Inspector Vergier spoke coldly, an untellable expression on his face, as the constabulary lined up in front of him, getting ready to capture Phantom R. "You will tell me everything! Today, we get to the bottom!" He declared. "Voilâ, the framed Paris Roller Skate Brigade! Escape is not an option. Go get him!" Inspector Vergier ordered the brigade.

They instantly obeyed, charging at Phantom R and Fondue. Phantom R and Fondue wasted no time in taking off, the Paris Roller Skate Brigade hot on their tail. Phantom R and Fondue ended up on top of buildings, still being chased by them.

"We've got to lose them, Fondue! They're everywhere!" Phantom R exclaimed, as they continued on.

"Woeuf!" Fondue barked in agreement.

"Today you rot in jail!" Inspector Vergier hollered from below, following them, determined to catch Phantom R.

Phantom R ignored him and was too busy focusing on three of the Paris Roller Skate Brigade constables standing on a building ahead of them, ready to capture him. Phantom R smirked and easily jumped over them along with Fondue, as they charged at them.

Phantom R and Fondue continued on their way, jumping over brigade members as they charged at them and swinging from bars and onto other buildings. Phantom R was seriously having a good time. He was sure that they weren't going to catch them. Fondue was thinking the exact same thing from beside him.

It took about thirty minutes to lose all of them. Phantom R jumped over the last of the Paris Roller Skate Brigade, the full moon shining brightly in the sky above. Fondue jumped over the guy too. The constable fell onto his stomach and face due to this.

Inspector Vergier stopped his pursuit from below, knowing Phantom R had gotten away. He raised a fist furiously and shook it. "I'll see you in chains, Phantom R!" He promised him.

**[Later]**

Phantom R and Fondue finally stopped running and grooving at Place Vendôme. It took a minute for them both to catch their breath. "I'll hand it to Vergier…He really knows how to throw a party!" Phantom R exclaimed to Fondue, shaking his head.

"Wooo-Woeuf! Woeuf!" Fondue barked at him.

"I know, Fondue," The rhythm king sighed. "But the best dancers always stay a step ahead of the competition."

"Woeurf…" Fondue whined a little.

Phantom R placed a hand on top of his hat, giving Fondue a look. "Scared? Me? I'm having way too much fun being Phantom R to be scared!" He told Fondue, grinning. "Speaking of which, I wonder what this 'incident' he was talking about is. We've got the bracelet. Time to go home and ponder." He muttered.

Fondue gave him a perplexed look.

Raphael/Phantom R looked at the dog. "You do much pondering, Fondue?" He asked him thoughtfully.

Fondue cocked his head to the side, looking even more confused. "Woeuf…?!" He barked softly.

Phantom R removed his hand from his hat and chuckled a little, patting the top of Fondue's head. "Probably not. Come on, Fondue." He says and began walking through the city, lights shining everywhere and pedestrians strolling along.

After like, about twenty minutes, the rhythm thief and Fondue found themselves back in Tuileries Garden, at the carnival. However, the balloon man and the little girl were no longer there, but were replaced with that lady, Grace. Phantom R was hoping he wouldn't have to speak to her, but she recognized him and immediately started chatting to him.

"I made it all the way to the Louvre, but the constables wouldn't let me get close enough to see Phantom R." Grace told him with a shake of her head, sounding extremely crestfallen.

Phantom R raised an eyebrow at the woman. "Lady, you've already met _and_ seen Phantom R." He tells her.

Grace blinked a few times before tilting her head to the side in bafflement. "I'm sorry?"

Phantom R waved a hand at her in a dismissive manner and shook his head, walking right passed her along with Fondue. "Uh…um…never mind! Have a nice night, madam!" He tells her, as he and Fondue hurried along.

Grace watched them go, still very perplexed.

Phantom R and Fondue made their way towards the Musée d'Orsay Station. When they got there they immediately saw one of the constables.

"Musée d'Orsay Station, checking in," The constable, Loic, spoke into a radio. "No sign of Phantom R here. I'll keep looking." He said before walking off, searching for Phantom R.

Phantom R put his hands into his pockets and turned to Fondue. "Looks like the checkpoints are already up…Better find a different route." He told his doggy friend.

"Woeuf!" Fondue barked.

"Think of it as an excuse to take a night time stroll through Paris!" Phantom R smiled.

They then proceeded to do so. They walked for a couple of minutes, enjoying their little stroll, but Phantom R suddenly stopped, as he heard soft cries of a little girl that he had seen before, Emilie.

"My balloon! My balloon!" She cried.

He saw Emilie and a young and very beautiful woman with blonde hair bending down in front of the little girl while holding a small violin. She patted the top of Emilie's head to calm her down. "There, don't cry." She told the crying girl. Then she stood up and held her violin up. After that she began playing a soft, little melody to soothe the girl's pain of losing her balloon. The woman closed her eyes and played beautifully, swaying to the music as she played. People immediately began to gather around her, listening to her wonderful playing. Emilie started to brighten up and she smiled happily after hearing the soothing melody.

Phantom R had managed to see the girl's pink colored balloon, floating in the air and grabbed it before it flew away and approached the girl and the young woman. He got down on one knee in front of Emilie and handed her the balloon with one hand on top of his hat, giving her a kind smile. Fondue wagged his tail happily from beside him, watching everything transpire. "Here you go."

The little girl laughed happily and immediately took the balloon away from Phantom R. "Merci! Thank you!" She exclaimed cheerfully and began to skip away with her parents.

The blond young woman had stopped playing her violin, as everyone began to leave. She looked at Phantom R and gave him a bright smile, which he quickly returned, but then it vanished, as he saw constables skating their way.

"Oh man, don't they ever give up?!" Phantom R spoke, as he turned and started sprinting away with Fondue trailing behind him, the constables chasing them.

The pretty, blond, young woman watched him go in interest. She immediately began to wonder just who he was. _Who is that? He seems rather charming…but, why are the constables chasing him? _ She thought in wonderment and confusion.

**[LATER]**

Phantom R and Fondue had managed to lose the constables and stopped at Champs-Êlysées. There are trees symmetrically lined up on either side of them and pretty lights decorated the trees nicely. Unfortunately, there was another constable standing not too far from where they were, looking around.

The rhythm king turned to look at the white furred dog. "Another checkpoint. The constables mean business tonight." He mumbled.

Suddenly, a very strange looking old woman named Sarah walked up to the constable that was searching for Phantom R and Fondue. "Excuse moi, constable. I was wondering if you could help?" She spoke.

The constable, Eric, saluted her. "Of course, Madame! If there is anything I can do to further the peace of Paris, you need only say it!" He exclaimed.

"It is my dog, my precious Sapphire! She has gone missing. Will you help me find her?" Sarah questioned him.

"It would be my pleasure, Madame. A dog named Sapphire must be a treasure indeed!" Eric says with a nod of his head. "Tell me, what breed is your dog?" He asked Sarah.

Sarah smiled, showing her perfectly straight teeth, holding a hand out. "My sweet Sapphire is a purebred bulldog! A beauty, like her owner, you see?" She answered him.

Eric suddenly looked very unhappy. "A b-bulldog!?"

Sarah nodded her head, still smiling.

"Buh-buh-buh…Buh-buh-buh…" Eric began shaking in fear and stuttering uncontrollably. "B-Beg Y-Your pardon, Madame…" He stuttered again in great fear, still trembling and shaking. "But I am cuh-currently on the lookout for the notorious Phantom R, and I may not leave my post. Not even for…a dog. I am sorry, but I am sure another constable will be able to assist you. Good day, Madame! Good day." He told her quickly.

Sarah looked disappointed and a bit irritated. "Alors, did he not just say he would do anything to help? The constables these days, what are they good for?" She muttered and started walking off.

"Aye yai yai! That was too close. A buh-buh-bulldog! Just my luck." Eric shivered.

A grin started to spread across Phantom R's face after watching that whole scene and Fondue gave him a questioning look. "There's more to this constable than meets the eye…Or maybe it's less." The rhythm thief said. He then looked in the direction Sarah walked off to and saw that she was standing near a sign, looking around for her pet.

"Sacré bulldog! A constable who will not help a damsel in distress! Is this what we pay for? Ooh, but where-o-where has my Sapphire gone? What will I do without her?" Sarah called out worriedly.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that constable has a bit of a dog phobia," Phantom R tells Fondue, as he looks back over at Eric who is still shivering a little and muttering something about 'bulldogs'. Raphael/Phantom R began to ponder about this. When he finally figured out something, he snapped his fingers, grinning. "Hey, Fondue, try barking!"

Fondue took a step forward, happy to obey. "Worrrrr…Woeuf! Woeuf!" Fondue barked loudly and viciously.

"Aye yai yai…!" Eric looked around nervously. "W-Was that a dog barking? No matter! I will not abandon my post! Inspector Vergier would make me the laughing stock of Paris." He refused to budge.

Phantom R frowned and brought a hand up to his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, that didn't go as expected. I guess not all barks are made equal." He murmured, frowning.

"Woeuuuf." Fondue said in great disappointment.

"Sorry, Fondue, you're just too likeable! This bulldog Sapphire, however…What say we find her?" Phantom R suggested, bending down and scratching Fondue on the head affectionately to make him feel better.

Fondue immediately wagged his tail happily, nodding his head.

Phantom R grinned, chuckling a little and standing up. "Atta boy, Fondue."

So Phantom R and Fondue quickly made their way out of the Champs-Êlysées and rapidly arrived in Place de la Concorde, which was yet another beautiful place in Paris, France. Phantom R and Fondue saw a man named Matthias standing around and decided to ask him if he's seen a bulldog around.

"Wow, I tell you: nothing puts a pep in your jogging step like a bulldog nipping at your heels!" Matthias exclaimed, sounding rather agitated. "Someone leash that thing!"

"I'm sorry…?" Phantom R gave the man a baffled look.

Matthias pointed on the other side of the massive fountain behind him, a warning look in his eyes. "Stay away from the right-hand-side of that fountain over there. Unless you want to be chow." He then turned away from them, looking elsewhere.

The rhythm thief looked at Fondue. "Well Fondue, I think that the bulldog, Sapphire, is over there on the right-hand-side of that fountain," He nodded his head towards it. "We'll go over and record the bulldog's barking, but first…" He whipped out his recorder and recorded the 'whooshing' of the fountain. Then he pocketed his recorder and grinned. "_Now_ let's go!"

"Woeuf!" Fondue barked happily, wagging his tail.

The duo made their way over to the right-hand-side of the fountain and saw a lot of people standing around, chatting, sitting down, playing, admiring, and laughing and whatnot. There was one man, Charles, standing with his arms crossed, staring off into nothing.

"Excuse me," Phantom R approached him politely, his hands in his pockets. "You didn't happen to see a ferocious bulldog around here, have you?"

"Bonsoir," Charles greeted him just as politely, but then looked thoughtful. "A ferocious bulldog? I think I saw it on the left earlier…" He decided.

Phantom R sighed. "I see."

"There's just something in the air. A certain…I don't know what," Charles started speaking again, his face full of contemplation. "The city is steeped in tradition and lore, if you only know where to look…Have you ever heard of the Phantom Notes?" He questioned suddenly, giving him a curious look.

Phantom R shook his head. "No, sir. I haven't. But the name _does_ capture my interest." He answered truthfully.

The old man smiled. "The Phantom Notes are hidden around Paris and people say it is the most wonderful music when played, but no one has ever managed to play it before."

"How do you find these 'Phantom Notes'?" Raphael/Phantom R queried in great interest.

"How to find the music scrap is known, but the question is, where those pieces are…" Charles responded quietly and mysteriously.

"I…see…" Phantom R mutters.

"I have heard there are 18 pieces of the music scrap. Try and seek them all out." He tells them. "If you can piece the Phantom Notes together, and play me the tune, I'll give you a truly stunning reward."

"But, sir," Phantom R began, looking a bit perplexed. "How do you know so much about these 'Phantom Notes'?" He questioned him seriously, really wanting to know how this old man knew.

Charles turned his back to him and Fondue. "That is a secret that must not be revealed," He replied. "Now, however, I must be going. Good luck finding that bulldog." He says before hurrying off before Phantom R could say another word to him.

Phantom R snapped his fingers and shook his head. "Oh yeah, I forgot about the bulldog. I was so caught up in what that old guy was telling me about the 'Phantom Notes'," He tells Fondue, frowning. "But do you really think that all of that was true, Fondue?"

"Woeuf!" Fondue replied, nodding his head.

Phantom R grinned and then, suddenly, his eyes widened. He stepped over to a green bush and reached in, pulling out some kind of ancient scrap. "Hey! Fondue, look at this!"

Fondue hurries over, wagging his tail.

Phantom R showed the dog the scrap. "I think it's a Phantom Note! What a coincidence that we would find one right after that old fellow gave us info about it! I guess it's just good luck!" He says cheerfully, carefully folding up the note and placing it into his pocket neatly. After that they found for more Phantom Notes nearby and pieced them all together.

"Woeuf!" Fondue barked jovially. "Woeuf!"

"Anyway, let's continue looking for that bulldog," Phantom R tells the white furred dog, heading towards the left side of the fountain. "To the left-hand-side we go!"

Fondue followed him obediently.

Once they made it there, they immediately saw the ferocious bulldog. It just stood there, growling at any passerby and any other animal that came its way. It also barked viciously and mercilessly.

"Don't get too close, Fondue. It might attack!" Phantom R warned his buddy, as he pulled out his recorder.

Fondue obeyed and stayed where he was.

Phantom R then recorded the bulldog and slipped the recorder back into his pocket, stepping away. He then turned to Fondue, grinning and putting his hands into his pockets, like usual. "Good stuff! And boy, it's true what she said – that bulldog was her owner's spitting image!" He declared, chuckling a bit.

"Woeuf!" Fondue agreed.

Phantom R started wending, heading back towards Champs-Êlysées, Fondue following close behind him. "I have a feeling this bark will take us places, Fondue. Let's see what our friendly constable thinks of it!" He says cheerily.

If Fondue could snicker, he would've done so right then and there.

**[LATER]**

The rhythm thief and Fondue finally reached Champs-Êlysées. Once they did, Phantom R immediately played the recording of the bulldog barking viciously. As he played the recording, he and Fondue hid behind some of the trees.

The constable, Eric, heard the sound and instantly got terrified and began shaking all over in fear. "Z-Z-Zut alors!" He stuttered. "That sound! That bark! Buh-buh-buh-buh-buh-buh-buh…

Phantom R snickered from behind the trees, happy that his plan was going just as…well…planned!

"It cannot be…But it is! A b-bulldog!" Eric exclaimed in total fear. "Ayeeeeeeeeeeee!" He screamed and darted off, scared for his life.

After a moment, Phantom R and Fondue came out of their hiding places, surprised and satisfied.

"Wow, Fondue," The rhythm thief spoke. "Maybe a bulldog bit him when he was a kid? I almost feel bad for him. Almost."

Fondue barked softly after hearing this.

"Anyway, time to get through while the getting's good. We can get to the Pont Alexandre III via FDR Avenue," Phantom R starts walking with Fondue right beside him. "Finally we're going home, Fondue!"

"Woeuf!" Fondue answered happily, wagging his tail, his tongue sticking out of his mouth.

**[LATER]**

Thirty minutes later, the red haired thief and the white furred dog were still on their way back home. It was nice and quiet and there weren't any signs of constables anywhere. The moon shone brightly in the starlit sky, cars drove on by almost smoothly, and there was a very small, cool breeze tonight.

Phantom R strolled on with a grin on his lips.

But suddenly…

"Help!"

Phantom R's grin vanished and he stopped walking, turning around to see the blond girl from before running towards them with a frightened expression on her face. She is holding her violin in her arms, as she runs towards him and Fondue.

"The girl…from the park?" Phantom R muttered to himself wonderingly.

Suddenly, the Bracelet of Tiamat began to glow brightly from around his left wrist, as well as some kind of symbol on the girl's violin. Phantom R brought the bracelet up and looked at it before looking at the girl's violin in realization. "Hey! That's the same mark!" He stated.

Fondue looked at him questioningly.

The girl finally reached them and slowed down. "Please help me!" She begged, her voice filled with fear and panic. She was breathing heavily and looked a bit tired from running. She then hid behind him, as some kind of men dressed in armor stopped in front of them, looking very unfriendly.

Phantom R glared at them, deciding to protect the girl. "Who're you?" He demanded to know, as Fondue slipped into a fighting stance, growling a bit.

Suddenly, one man that was dressed differently from the others approached them menacingly. "I am Napoleon, your emperor," He responded unfriendly. "You'd be wise to kneel, boy!"

Phantom R felt like laughing after hearing him say that and smirked. "This some kind of reenactment? You can't possibly be Napoleon. He died two centuries ago." He told him, not sounding afraid at all.

"There is a power in this world which clearly defies your pitiful imagination, mon ami. Now then me petite chérie! You will return the Dragon Crown to its rightful owner!" The mysterious man tells him dangerously, grinning evilly.

"What are you talking about!?" The blond girl exclaimed in complete perplexity, tears flying from her eyes. She still stood behind the rhythm thief, hoping he'd protect her.

The man who calls himself 'Napoleon' continued grinning evilly and he began speaking again, "The times, they change, but people? Never. Always the ignorant cretins getting in the way of greatness!"

Phantom R still had no idea what this guy was talking about and didn't believe him at all. He frowned and got ready for a fight anyway, knowing they weren't going to walk away peacefully. Fondue got ready from beside him. The blond girl took a few steps back fearfully.

The man, 'Napoleon' waved a hand out in front of him. "To arms, my loyal servants!" He commanded.

Suddenly, the armed men behind him began charging towards Phantom R and Fondue.

"Whatever happened to chivalry?" Phantom R wanted to know, as he backed up a little, still ready for the fight that was soon to come, the armed men still charging at them. When he didn't get an answer he turned to his white furred, doggy friend. "Let's go!"

"Woeuf!" Fondue got ready.

Phantom R started moving with the rhythm, as he easily took out Napoleon's servants. They all came at him like rabbits, hopping very quickly and attempting to slash him. They were literally hopping towards him, raising their long claws, ready to strike. However, they never got a chance, because the red haired thief kept them away, punching each and every one of them and doing slick moves on the ground and whatnot, tripping them and confusing them.

Fondue was doing just fine, biting and tearing at the servants' legs and feet, keeping them away and hurting them badly. He made sure to stay in the rhythm. The hopping servants were hopping in some kind of rhythm, so Fondue was following that.

Phantom R used his fancy dance moves to knock most of servants out, sliding and break dancing along the ground, kicking his legs about and knocking some of them down to the ground. Then he would sometimes get back up and just knock them away with a punch to the face, as they bounded towards him, repeatedly hopping like rabbits.

The so called 'Napoleon' was watching all of this in ire. He didn't like how all of his servants were getting beaten by a boy and his dog.

"Enough child's play!" Napoleon hollered angrily. He was angry that his servants were actually losing to the rhythm king. "To battle!" He roared, crossing his arms over his chest, expecting his servants to win.

And, just like he wanted, the servants began bounding towards Phantom R and Fondue faster, attempting to hit them with their large hands. However, Phantom R and Fondue didn't let them get too close. They continued to fight fancily, making sure to stay in the rhythm.

_Just how many are there?_ The red haired phantom thought wonderingly, as he continued to knock some servants down with punches and break dancing kicks. He then noticed that some of the ones he had managed to knock down were getting right back up and hopping towards him rather quickly.

"Grrrr….!" Fondue growled and bit into one of the servants' leg hard, but not hard enough to draw blood. The servant howled in pain and wobbled away, holding his leg in agony. Fondue kept it up, staying in the quick rhythm.

The blond girl was watching all of this in awe, shock, and amazement. She had no idea that they could fight this well.

Suddenly, a giant servant, bigger than the others, bounded towards Phantom R _and_ Fondue. Phantom R and Fondue nodded at each other and worked together to take down the giant servant. Phantom R immediately launched a series of punches and kicks at him and Fondue dived forward, sinking his teeth into his leg.

The huge servant screamed in sheer agony and collapsed onto the ground, completely passed out. All of the other servants looked around at each other nervously, not sure if they should continue to fight or not.

Napoleon's eyes widened, as he watched the red haired phantom take down one of his biggest servants. He couldn't believe what was happening! He was _outraged_! "What are you doing!?" He howled. "Quickly, vite, vite!"

The servants obeyed and started bounding towards Phantom R and Fondue faster than before, coming one at a time. This didn't faze Phantom R and Fondue one bit and they continued doing what they do best.

Phantom R danced around and fought all of the servants with all his might, throwing colorful kicks and punches without breaking a sweat. He wasn't even tired. He had complete confidence in himself and knew that he wouldn't be defeated by them. Plus, he has his slick moves.

Fondue continuously bit into servants' arms and legs and kept them at bay. He also had complete confidence in himself too. He wouldn't stop fighting until his master stopped fighting.

Suddenly, the servants all stopped coming for a moment, trying to catch their breath. Many other servants lay on the ground, unmoving. They had been knocked out by Phantom R and Fondue.

Phantom R observed all of his handiwork, placing a hand on top of his head and smirking a bit. "Someone's not feeling it!" He stated.

"Woeuf!" Fondue agreed, wagging his tail.

The blond girl stared at the whole scene, her eyes wide, as she clutched at her violin. _Wow, that was amazing!_ She thought.

Napoleon stared in disbelief, a look of ire and contempt appearing on his face. He just couldn't fathom what was occurring.

Suddenly, the servants started attacking again. Phantom R and Fondue started fighting back once more. Phantom R went low, doing his incredible dancing moves on the ground, tripping his opponents up and knocking them down with kicks. He sighed and was starting to get bored with this. He glanced over at the blond, beautiful young lady and thought that she might want to go now.

Phantom R signaled to Fondue that it was time to go and did some slipping and sliding on the ground, kicking more of the servants away. Then he got onto his hands and pushed up with all his might, launching himself into the air stylishly. He flipped sideways while in the air, his red hair blowing a bit and the moonlight shining brilliantly on him. All the while, grinning.

Napoleon and the blond girl watched in surprise.

As Phantom R descended towards the ground, he kicked one of the servants in the face, knocking him down to the ground. Then he landed on his feet gracefully, snapping his fingers and grinning. Then he took off towards the blond lady.

The blond lady watched with wide eyes, gasping, as more of those servants came at the red haired phantom, trying to stop him.

But Phantom R was just too good for them. He slipped and spun out of their way flawlessly. "Pardon me." He tells them as he does his actions.

When he finally reached her he held out his hand, smiling kindly at the young woman. "Come on!"

The blond woman was surprised, staring right at the handsome young man before her. "What?"

Phantom R didn't wait for her. He forcefully grasped her soft and delicate hand and pulled her up into his arms, holding her bridal-style. Then he turned and jumped off of the edge of the platform they were standing on. Fondue was right behind him.

This shocked 'Napoleon'. His eyes widened in disbelief. "What?!"

Phantom R landed onto a boat with the blond girl still in his arms. Fondue landed down right behind him. Then he took off running along the boat, other people giving them odd and shocked looks. Next Phantom R jumped into the air again towards another boat. The blond girl held onto the red haired phantom tightly, her eyes wide and her blondish hair blowing in the wind. The rhythm thief jumped from boat to boat, going over to the other side, holding the girl in his arms the whole time. Fondue did the same from behind him.

Napoleon started yelling in disbelief, shouting something that the phantom, the girl, and the white furred dog could not make out.

Phantom R jumped off of the last boat along with Fondue, soaring high into the air in slow motion. The red haired phantom kept a strong hold on the pretty young lady, looking down at her with a smile. The girl looked back up at him with wide eyes, a smile forming on her own lips.

Then they finally landed and Phantom R whipped around with the girl still in his arms. He could see Napoleon and his servants in the distance, across the way.

He then smirked and let go of the girl with one arm, taking his hat off and holding it out.

"Show's over, folks!"

Then he turned, put his hat back on, and took off running with the girl still in his arms. Fondue was still right behind him, his tail wagging and his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

_That night was the start of everything._

_The mystery of the mark my father left, Napoleon's lost "treasure", and the crown that was a map to a key…_

_Little did I know what adventures were in store for me!_


End file.
